


coffee shop soundtrack

by adverbialstarlight



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - No Exy (All For The Game), Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Co-workers, Coffee Shops, First Meetings, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I suppose, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, POV Alternating, Pining, Strangers to Lovers, Worldbuilding, and shit, i can only tag vld fics, not so slow burn, rating for swearing because i swear a fuck ton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-24 07:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19719229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adverbialstarlight/pseuds/adverbialstarlight
Summary: Andrew works at the Enchanted Fox Coffeehouse, which specializes in making charmed drinks and pastries. It's uneventful work, or so he thinks until he meets Neil Josten, the strangest customer he's ever encountered and the Enchanted Fox's newest employee.[aka a magical coffee shop au no one needed or asked for, written with the andreil week 2019 prompts]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to my first posted aftg fic! that's weird since i've had 3 others in progress for a while but still, don't judge me too hard if the characterization is weird lol. anyway enjoy!!
> 
> this is unedited/betaed and i pulled it out of my ass in 2 sittings so please excuse any mistakes. title is from Coffee Shop Soundtrack by All Time Low ~~aka my favorite band since middle school~~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: alternate meeting, magic au, fantasy au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to my first posted aftg fic! that's weird since i've had 3 others in progress for a while but still, don't judge me too hard if the characterization is weird lol. anyway enjoy!!
> 
> this is unedited/betaed and i pulled it out of my ass in 2 sittings so please excuse any mistakes. title is from Coffee Shop Soundtrack by All Time Low ~~aka my favorite band since middle school~~

Making lattes, in Andrew’s opinion, was a complete and utter waste of time and magic. Though coffee from the mundane Starbucks down the street was decent, people flocked to the Enchanted Fox Coffeehouse every morning, excited with the promise of charmed drinks and pastries that promised something _more_.

Magic was everywhere, but very few people had the strength and adeptness to harness and control it. Unfortunately, Andrew and Aaron were two of those people, so they ended up working at the Enchanted Fox.

On most days, the job bored Andrew.

He was a barista, in charge of charming the drinks as they were made then giving it to the customers. None of them were ever interesting enough to be spared a glance, though there had been many who tried before. The work had become dull as well. There were always the same requests for energy and clear skin and confidence, never anything else, and Andrew was really fucking sick of it.

Something was different today though, Andrew could feel it in the energy lines as he walked into the Enchanted Fox and made his way behind the counter. He didn’t bother thinking too much on it, knowing that he’d find out one way or another.

The Enchanted Fox was in the lull between the morning rush and the lunch rush, so Andrew took his time tying his apron and took a detour into the kitchen. He heard Kevin sigh loudly from behind him, reminding Andrew what time it was, but ignored it.

“Bee,” Andrew said upon opening the door, nodding at the head pastry chef.

Betsy was holding a pipping bag over a tray of hot cookies but paused when she saw Andrew. “Hello, Andrew. How are you today?”

He shrugged, and Betsy didn’t pry further. It was one of the things that Andrew liked about the woman, why he tolerated her so much when he could barely even stand his own cousin. She held out one of the cookies to him with a sly smile, and Andrew accepted it immediately.

Perhaps that was another reason people flocked to the Enchanted Fox, he mused. Charmed or not, anything Betsy made was always amazing. Andrew was lucky that she allowed him to swipe treats in the back sometimes instead of swatting him away.

“You should probably head out,” Betsy spoke up when Andrew finished off his cookie. “A new customer has walked in.”

Betsy had an affinity for reading energy, always able to tell when someone walked in by the shift, but Andrew could feel this one too. This new person had a strange aura, the energy radiating off of them powerful and making the entire shop feel tighter. He wondered if their proximity to the coffeehouse was what made it feel strange when he walked in.

Without saying anything, Andrew turned and walked back out, just in time to see the customer walk up to the counter.

The man had bright red hair and blue eyes that seemed to flit around the shop analytically, taking in every person and every detail without much thought. The movement was subtle but clear if one was observant enough, as was the ounce of fear behind his gaze.

It was impossible not to notice the scars running up his rather attractive face as well, faded but still dark on his light skin. There were also scars on his hands when he pulled them out of his pockets to hand Kevin his credit card, most small and light but a few deep and jagged like the ones on his face. He still had gorgeous features beneath all the scar tissue, though they made Andrew wonder what kind of person this man might be if he’d been unlucky enough to receive them.

He had the potential to be interesting. Not by much, but enough that Andrew’s eyes followed him for a moment before taking the cup from Kevin to make the drink.

His eyebrows raised at Kevin when he read the receipt. A small black coffee with no enchantments or charms. If people wanted un-magicked coffee there were several other places to get some, and yet here this man was, ordering a plain coffee in a shop that specialized in charmed drinks.

“He didn’t want anything else in it,” Kevin said, rolling his eyes. “Said only coffee with no magic, what an idiot.”

An idiot who was only a foot away and could most definitely hear him, Andrew didn’t point out. Instead he moved to the coffee machine, flicking his hand to let his magic pour it just to contradict this man’s magic-free request.

He snapped a lid on it and glanced at the receipt, then at the man waiting. “Black coffee for Neil,” Andrew said boredly, sliding the cup across the counter. He watched Neil take it then moved away from the counter.

From the corner of his eye, Andrew watched Neil mutter under his breath and tap the side of his cup. A cooling spell. He was a magic user, then. Neil looked up and Andrew met his gaze, and to his surprise, the other man didn’t look away.

Though they’d barely even said anything to each other, Andrew could tell there was something about him that didn’t quite add up, something that he was covering up. Something that needed to be covered up, even in front of strangers in a busy coffeehouse. Andrew couldn’t help but want to find out what it might be.

The bell over the shop rang and multiple people came bustling in, his cue to get back to work. Andrew raised his eyebrows at Neil then turned and moved towards the second register to help Kevin with the starting afternoon rush. He didn’t let himself think about Neil as he took orders and charmed drinks mechanically, bored expression never budging.

Around half an hour later, Neil got up from his table and threw away his cup. But instead of leaving, he moved back towards the counter, posture rigid. Andrew paused the spell he was muttering, letting the energy disperse back into the ether.

“Hello, may I help you?” Kevin asked.

“I’m here for training, Neil Josten,” Neil said.

Kevin blinked in surprise. “Oh. Alright, Da— Wymack’s office is down the hall behind me and to the right. You can talk to him first then Andrew will train you.”

“Okay, thanks,” Neil said, nodding. He moved around the counter and followed Kevin’s directions, disappearing down the hall.

Interesting, Andrew thought again.

He turned his gaze to Kevin, giving him an annoyed look that clearly said _are you fucking kidding me_?

Kevin only shrugged, void of remorse. “My break’s in five minutes, yours isn’t,” he said as explanation.

He had a point, but Andrew was still annoyed. Huffing, Andrew finished the coffee he was making and slid it over the counter to the waiting businesswoman. Kevin handed him another cup and receipt and he started working on the complex order, moving quickly so he’d be done before Neil came back out.

Andrew was starting on the next order when Neil returned, his messenger bag dropped somewhere in the back and one of the bright orange Enchanted Fox aprons around his neck. He finished the drink then turned to Neil, arms crossed.

“You know how to make coffee?” he asked. Neil shrugged. Good enough, Andrew figured. The machines weren’t too hard to figure out and he was clearly capable of just using magic to work them. “Can you do basic enhancement charms?”

“A few. Which ones are used here?”

Andrew gestured at the small paper menu on the counter next to him, where the list of all the available charms were listed. Neil scanned the list quickly, then hummed in affirmation. “Yeah, some of them. Can probably do the rest if I practice them.”

“You’ll just be doing register stuff at first so you’ll have time to do that. But today you’re just watching me make drinks,” Andrew said.

Without waiting for an answer, he took the next receipt, giving it to Neil while he grabbed all the needed ingredients. He felt Neil’s eyes watch as he moved through making the espresso easily but told himself he didn’t care about it. When he got to doing the energy boost charm, Andrew raised his voice as he cast the charm, watching his dark blue magic settle over the cup. Then he passed it to Neil again, who called forward the customer and handed them the coffee and receipt.

The man’s eyes seemed focused on the scars on Neil’s face, a small disgusted look on his face. Neil didn’t seem surprised by this. Andrew watched him grimace for a fraction of a second before saying chirpily, “Have a nice day, sir,” and turn back to Andrew.

The smile disappeared from his face once his back was to the store, and Andrew felt an inexplicable wave of irritation towards the asshole customer. He glared flatly as the man took his drink, not relenting until he was out of the store entirely.

Then, like nothing had happened, they started on the next drink.

His mind was whirling with thoughts and questions as he made the drink, not about the scars, but the man beneath them. Neil had covered his emotions in a startlingly quick manner, false words and a smile put up before anyone could blink and notice the artifice. It did nothing to ease Andrew’s suspicions.

Neil Josten was an odd man, with strange energy and piles upon piles of secrets he seemed set on letting no one find.

Something in Andrew flared, an old, forgotten spark of curiosity. And even after Neil left for the day and Andrew returned to the apartment he shared with Aaron and Nicky, it didn’t flicker even once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if i had a nickle for every time i spelled neil's name as "niel" in this, i would be able to afford to go to college next year. this was written for andreil week and since i have no fucking idea what to do with the rest of the days i'm going to stick in this universe and either make up a plot or write slice of life esque things so they eventually kiss ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ anyway hope someone liked this, leave a comment or kudos if you'd like to make me cry and have a nice day/night/whatever
> 
> catch me on [tumblr](https://adverbialstarlight.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/adverbialnouns) if you want


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: fluorescent lights, deafening sound, secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i used the first two prompts kind of metaphorically and idk if that makes me pretentious or smart? if its the former maybe i'll just do free verse poems for the rest of the days lmao anyway enjoy

Yesterday when he’d come in for training, Neil had only met Andrew, Kevin, Matt, and Wymack. He thought it’d be quiet like that again today, with only a few people and their focus mostly on taking and making customers’ orders. He was wrong.

“Hey Neil,” Matt called out when he walked into the second back office that doubled as the employee break room. There were three others sitting with him on the beat up IKEA couch, all gathered around an old TV sitting precariously on a cardboard box.

Two of the girls were passing a ball of bright pink magic between each other like it was a football. It was a normal thing, Neil told himself. They were simply messing around with their magic and not planning some sort of attack. He wasn’t on the run anymore, and there was bound to be more magic in a magical coffee shop than any other place.

“Hi,” Neil said, untying his apron and suppressing a relieved sigh.

He’d been allowed to charm a few of the drinks today but refused. He didn’t want Andrew to see what his magic looked like when he was already eyeing Neil suspiciously, not yet. Luckily Andrew didn’t pry on it and instead showed him how to clean the espresso machine.

“These are a few of the other Foxes— that’s what the employees are called,” Matt said, gesturing to the group around him.

The girl next to him stood up and walked over to Neil with a bright smile and held her hand out to him. “Hi, I’m Dan, the assistant manager. You’re Neil, right? I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here to train you myself yesterday.”

Neil shook her hand and nodded. “Yeah. Don’t worry about it, Andrew did alright. He seems like an interesting person.”

One of the girls tossing the pink ball snorted and tossed back her long blonde hair. “Andrew, alright? Yeah right. The Monsters are _never_ alright,” she said. “I’m Allison.”

“Hello Neil, I’m Renee. Ignore Allison, she can be a bit… insensitive at times,” the other girl said. She gave Allison a look that was far too sharp for the sweet smile with it then continued, “And she also tends to forget that Andrew is my friend and I don’t appreciate people calling him a monster.”

Allison waved a hand through the pink ball of magic and shrugged in half-hearted apology to Renee. “Sorry, babe. It’s kind of the truth though.”

Renee waved her hand in polite dismissal then turned to Neil again. “So, how are you enjoying the Enchanted Fox so far?”

“It seems like a pretty interesting place. I’ve never actually been in a fully magical business before,” Neil said.

The truth was that he’d avoided magical businesses most of his life.

Though few were able to harness and control magic, everyone had some inside them. The energy was what charged their aura, which could be read by everyone. It depended on how attuned to their own magic the person was, but if one looked close enough, they could see that there was something not quite right in Neil’s.

He had various charms and spells placed over him to make it seem more normal, some of which had been present since he was ten years old and first went on the run with his mother, but there was always the chance that someone might pick up what kind of magic he was made for.

Now that his mother was dead, Neil decided the Enchanted Fox might be a good place to stay for a bit. In a place that was fueled by magic, it was harder to tell what energy came from what person, if the strange aura was the mixing of many users’ magic or one man. Not to mention that it also provided him with an income and some sense of normalcy.

“Well I hope you like the Enchanted Fox, then. Other than the Monsters, everyone here is pretty chill,” Matt spoke up.

“Thanks.”

“So what kind of magic do you specialize in?” Dan asked, leaning into Matt’s side as she sunk back into the couch. “Usually Wymack will assign you to specific things if you have a specialty that works well with it.”

Years of deceit and running had taught Neil to cover his truths easily and smoothly, so he was able to cover the discomfort her question brought him. He shrugged and said nonchalantly, “I don’t have one really.”

“That’s completely fine, there are basic jobs that you can do too,” Renee said. “Most of us don’t really have a specific one either and just move around different tasks during the week.”

“Cool,” Neil said. He didn’t like the way her eyes seemed to see through him in the same way Andrew’s had yesterday and this morning. He felt vulnerable and seen, as if there were a fluorescent neon sign hanging over his head on a wire, the word _liar_ spelled out in big bright letters.

Neil had been taught not to give anyone any information about himself. Whether it was big or small, able to compromise his survival or miniscule and useless, he couldn’t tell anyone any of it. Because letting people know you, letting them see you as something a bit more than a face and name, meant he was letting them too close.

It felt impossible to undo now, even with his parents and his father’s inner circle all long gone. He’d kept his secrets for far too long to let go of any now, especially to random strangers for the sake of small talk.

Fortunately, something on the TV got the others’ attention and their focus moved away from Neil for the time being. He sat and watched with them until his break was over, which was made clear when a small box sitting on the table began to buzz and screech, moving over to Neil.

“Neil Josten, your time is up,” the box’s monotone voice recited. “Please proceed back to work and report to your manager within the next three minutes. Your time—"

“Ugh, I hate those things, they’re so annoying,” Dan said, scowling as she let her bright green magic encase the box and silenced it. “Why did I let Kevin talk Wymack into making them again?”

Renee shrugged. “You have to admit they do help some,” she said.

“They move around and talk to you too, though. It’s really creepy,” Matt said.

Neil had to agree with Matt on that one. He stood quickly, glancing at the box again then to the others. “Uh, thanks. I’ll see you guys later.”

He left to a chorus of goodbyes, feeling unusually warm as he retied his apron. Though they’d only known him for half an hour, the other Foxes seemed to welcome Neil almost instantly into their group. They seemed genuinely interested in him, kind and welcoming even with Renee’s strangeness, and Neil found himself hoping that interest remained past his first week.

Neil had never spared much time for thinking about friendship, about relationships with people besides his mother. It was something he couldn’t afford when on the run, it would only hurt him and anyone else involved. But now that things were different, there was a chance that this could be different too. He could make friends, could be wanted as a friend himself.

That hypothetical friendship would be based on lies, yes, but what else was new? He wasn’t going to run anymore, and letting himself be known by these people he’d be spending most of his time around would be the first step.

**✧✧✧**

One of the unfortunate things Neil had inherited from his father was his absolutely horrid temper. He was not as patient and forgiving as people made him out to be, and when he reached a snapping point, it was never a pretty sight.

He’d been sure to act polite and kind around the other Foxes so far. Drawing too much attention to himself would only risk him getting fired within his first month of working here, and he really did want to stay. Even when there was a particularly ridiculous customer around and picking a fight, Neil kept his mouth shut as best he could.

But when someone found a way to push all the right buttons and piss Neil off, all those inhibitions were thrown aside. He didn’t think anyone would be able to reach that point. Not even Kevin who was a stingy perfectionist when it came to the most miniscule details and handed out unasked for criticism like he was Mother Teresa giving coins to the homeless. Not Andrew who sometimes put the ginger tea in the hibiscus tea box or moved the pitcher of milk onto a shelf that neither of them could reach without climbing onto the countertop.

And yet, only half an hour after his break with the other Foxes, he found the one person who could do just that.

He and Andrew were on barista duty as usual and Kevin and Nicky were at the registers today. Aaron was sitting quietly in the corner reading a book until his shift began, having no way to get to the shop without his brother and unwilling to sit alone with the other Foxes. There were only a few customers in the shop and Neil was wiping down the countertop in front of the coffee machines.

The enchanted bell chimed over the door and a man with dark slicked back hair stepped inside. He looked strange, scanning the shop with a small sneer as he sauntered up to the counter. If it could be pinpointed, this was the approximate moment that absolutely everything then went to shit.

Kevin and Nicky were arguing over two sets of frosting pipping bag tips but immediately went quiet when the man reached the counter. Face paling and shoulders rigid, Kevin stumbled backwards into Aaron. He didn’t seem to register it, eyes trained on the man.

“Hello, dear cousin,” he said, leaning forward with a predatory grin.

When Neil turned, he felt his own heart seize in his chest, every nerve in his body screaming to _run_. This had to be some terrible, cruel coincidence. Standing at the counter of the Enchanted Fox, with the same cruel smile that echoed in far too many of Neil’s own childhood memories, was Riko Moriyama.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” Kevin’s voice was a hoarse whisper, almost inaudible with the rumble of the coffee machines and jazz music playing over the speakers. His hands were shaking beneath the counter, balled into tight fists.

Andrew put down the cup he was holding, following Neil’s gaze to Kevin and then Riko. Neil watched his hands drift towards his black armbands.

Neil had suspected before that he’d been hiding weapons in there, knives perhaps. He’d been around too many concealed weapons in his childhood not to identify one, and from the way Andrew’s fingers twitched by the thick seam, Neil knew his prediction was right.

“And why not?” Riko sneered. “Am I not allowed to come visit my favorite cousin at his new workplace? We used to be so close, I haven’t seen you since—”

“Fuck off,” Andrew’s flat voice interrupted him. There was a dangerous edge to his voice, but other than that, his face remained the picture of apathy.

Neil was surprised that he spoke up at all. Nothing seemed to get to Andrew, nothing piqued his interest or amused him or angered him enough to give more of a reaction than a huff or eye roll. And yet he was moving to stand in front of Kevin, eyes murderous as he stared down Riko.

“Ah, it’s _you_ ,” Riko said, glancing briefly at Andrew with distaste. “I’m disappointed in you Kevin, have you really sunk so low after the accident? I didn’t think you needed a little guard dog to fight your battles for you, and yet here we are.”

“No, I don’t,” Kevin said through gritted teeth, stepping around Andrew. “How did you find me?”

“You might have forgotten after going rogue and hiding with your daddy, but the Moriyamas are a _very_ powerful family. We have eyes and ears everywhere, you’re more of an idiot than I thought if you thought you were free,” Riko said.

With their families’ close affiliation, even after Neil went on the run he knew all about Kevin, Riko, and the Moriyamas.

They were powerful magic users, with strong control and vast spell knowledge. There were pages in textbooks about the family and how they trained their children from early on to go into the most prestigious magic academies.

Riko, Kevin, and Neil had all been on that track until Neil and his mother ran. After that, Neil harnessed his magic to help him survive, but Riko and Kevin became known prodigies in the community of magic users. Riko was the most powerful, Kevin a close second until Riko— with his fragile ego and seriously lacking moral compass— cursed him so he was only able to harness a sliver of the magic he used to.

In other words, Riko was an asshole. A really, really big one who needed to be taken down a peg or five. Luckily for him, Neil was not in the best mood today and could benefit from yelling at someone who deserved it.

The silence of the coffeehouse was deafening as the cousins stared each other down until finally Neil stepped up next to Kevin, eyebrows raised mockingly. Andrew gave him a look that easily read _what the fuck are you doing_ but Neil only shrugged and turned to Riko.

“You honestly can’t be serious right now,” Neil said, snorting. “You’re standing right here, acting all high and mighty and trying to cow Kevin because your pride can’t take it if you aren’t being a smarmy ass all the time yet _he’s_ the idiot here? Hate to break it to you, but all you’re doing is holding up the line right now. If you’d like to, you can order a mocha, but otherwise you can go take your daddy issues and weird inferiority complex somewhere else. I don’t care if everyone else tolerates you parading around with all your bullshit, but we literally couldn’t care less so it’d be appreciated if you would leave our premises within the next minute. Thanks buddy.”

The sweetness in his voice was dripping with sarcasm but his sharp grin didn’t falter as Riko turned an incredulous scowl on him. No one but his father could fully terrify Neil anymore.

“You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” Riko seethed. “Do you even know who I am? You have no right to talk to me like that.”

“I know the concept is kind of hard to process for you, but just because this place is an enchanted coffeeshop, it doesn’t mean that we have to give a flying fuck about the Moriyamas,” Neil said, unmoved. “Now either buy something or leave.”

Riko sputtered for a few seconds in disbelief, clearly used to being able to wave around the Moriyama name like a get out of jail free Monopoly card. He summoned a dark red ball of magic, waving it in front of himself like it was a weapon. Neil heard Nicky inhale sharply.

“You’ve just made yourself an enemy I think you’ll soon come to regret,” Riko said lowly.

“I highly doubt that.” Neil waved a hand, dispelling the energy. He wanted to laugh at the look of absolute hate on Riko’s face but instead turned and went back to restocking the cups as if Riko had never even been there.

Wymack came stomping out of the back then, a broom and dustpan in hand. “What the hell is all the screaming about?” he demanded. His eyes landed on Riko and then his scowl deepened. “You’re not welcome in here, get out of my fucking shop.”

“I was just about to,” Riko replied shortly. With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the Enchanted Fox.

Kevin whipped his head to Neil when the door closed. “Do you have a death wish?” he demanded.

Neil shrugged.

“Riko isn’t someone to be messed with, Neil,” Kevin tried again, moving to take the cups from Neil so he’d look up. “I appreciate you standing up for me, but you need to leave it alone. And besides, you know how bad for business that kind of stunt is?”

Not waiting for an answer, Kevin let out a long sigh, shaking his head as he followed Wymack into the back for his break.

“Nice going, man!” Nicky exclaimed, coming up to slap Neil on the back. “Damn, I’ve only seen Andrew stand up to him before, that was ballsy as fuck.”

Neil shrugged.

As he turned back to the counter, he caught Andrew staring at him inquisitively. There was a strange look in his eyes, like he was looking at a math problem that didn’t quite add up right. Neil looked away, trying to put it out of his mind as they started up on making drinks again.

They went on with the rest of the day as if the incident with Riko had never happened. The weight of Andrew’s stare never left Neil’s back the entire time.

Things at the Enchanted Fox were supposed to be another cover where Neil would slip under the radar until he had to move on. After the scene he caused today though, it seemed that Andrew wasn’t going to let that happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops this was low key fillery, i had a different plan but then writer brain ran off and this happened. until tomorrow for the next chapter, where they're actually going to _bond_ i swear to fuck they will.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: phobia, language, tattoo/piercing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one's a bit late, i was doing cosplay repairs today, but as promised, here's some bonding ~~.....the emotional, nonkinky kind, i am a Minor~~ :D enjoy
> 
> (tw for a very vague reference to past self harm. nothing graphic though since i don't write personally triggering stuff)

Andrew was not normally one for starting conversations. He was better as a listener, and more often people didn’t want to hear what he had to say. And yet here he was, trying to find the right combination of words to get Neil to say something to him.

After Riko stormed out of the coffeehouse, things were quieter.

They moved through the lunch rush with relative ease. Neil didn’t look at Andrew the whole time they worked, only speaking to ask for the whipped cream or caramel sauce. He was quiet and seemed lost in his thoughts, no trace of the tempered, far more interesting man Andrew had seen earlier.

Neil had acted as if he were personally offended by Riko’s existence. That was a pretty standard reaction to him, but Neil seemed to hint that he knew more about Riko and the Moriyamas than what the general public should. He’d stiffened when Riko came up to the counter, too strong a reaction for mere recognition of a minor celebrity.

It did nothing to quell Andrew’s suspicions about him.

Now that the lunch rush was over, there was a significantly slower inflow of customers, leaving only Andrew and Neil out front to make drinks and run the register. Neil was wiping off the counter and Andrew was sitting on the stool watching him.

After a few more moments of debating what to say, Andrew blurted out, “Tell me a truth.”

Neil looked up in surprise, raising an eyebrow at Andrew. “Why?”

Andrew shrugged. “I don’t buy all your lying bullshit and this has the potential to be interesting. And you can ask me for one after if it’s not dull.”

Neil considered it a moment, pausing as if waiting for Andrew to add on another cruel condition. When he didn’t, Neil said, “I can pick up my phone with my left foot.”

When Andrew gave him a flat, unamused look, Neil only grinned. Andrew resisted sighing heavily. He should’ve known Neil would pull some bullshit like that. He wasn’t the type to freely give out anything very personal when given a loophole out of it.

“Fine. Ask me something then,” he said.

Neil tilted his head, thinking for a moment then finally asked, “What’re you afraid of?”

“I don’t like heights.”

Andrew’s voice was apathetic, but the words were quite a bit of an understatement. He was terrified of heights, the risk of falling that came with it. That had been why he climbed onto things as a teenager, sitting on rooftops and satellite towers and tall rocks— to feel the pinching terror in his chest that came when he inched too close to the edge. It had never been pleasant, but he’d decided that fear was a preferable feeling to the pain he’d sought out before.

“Huh. You don’t really seem like the type,” Neil said.

Andrew only shrugged. “What are you afraid of, then?”

Neil paused then said, “I’m terrified of getting a tattoo. I used to have one, it was like a brand on my face and I couldn’t stand looking at it. It’s gone now and I never want that to happen again obviously, but I still kind of want to get a new one. One that I get to choose for myself, I mean.”

His hand went up to his cheek, fingers brushing against the burn scar marring his skin. There was a small frown on his lips and furrow in his brows as his eyes became glassy with reminiscence. Andrew wasn’t sure Neil even realized he was doing it.

He waited patiently, letting Neil bring himself back into the present. As they stood there, he really looked at Neil’s scars. He looked at the ones on Neil’s right cheek first, the jagged lines had undoubtedly come from the edge of a knife. Whoever had done it had meant for it to scar permanently, they knew how to aim their knife. The one on the left looked like a warped burn scar. Andrew suspected that had been where the tattoo used to be.

Finally, Neil’s eyes cleared of the fog and he turned to Andrew with a small, cheerful smile. “Alright, I think it’s time for my break now but I’ll see you later,” he said.

His voice was far too chipper for what had just happened, but Andrew was beginning to realize that Neil could cover his emotions like they were a set of Bian Lian masks. Instead of saying anything, he only stayed in place and watched Neil hurry into the back.

Andrew watched him go. When he realized what he was doing, he turned himself back around to stare at the counter instead.

“Wow,” an amused voice said from the door. Andrew turned to see Renee standing there, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe with a small smile. “I’m proud of you, Andrew. You seem to be treating this new Fox far better than our last one. What do you think of Neil so far?”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “I’m not doing anything. He might be interesting, that’s all.”

Renee raised her eyebrow. “Is that so?” she asked. When Andrew said nothing, she continued, “Well, no matter what it might be, it might be good for you to make a new friend. Or perhaps something else.”

Andrew flicked a stray straw wrapper at her. “You sound like Bee.”

“You know she’s always right though,” Renee quipped.

“Whatever,” Andrew said.

He was saved from whatever else Renee might’ve said when two teenage girls strolled into the shop, eyes alight with wonder as they took in the small enchanted contraptions floating around. Andrew had never been very impressed by it all, his relationship with magic had never been the most pleasant, but it was clear these girls were unused to seeing anything manifested.

Renee’s grin widened even more and sent a streak of light purple magic towards the girls, letting it loop around them and leave a shimmering trail. “Welcome to the Enchanted Fox,” she greeted them, “may I take your order?”

And with that, Andrew tuned them out and resumed work. Though he’d never admit it to Renee, his thoughts wandered to Neil a few times. He’d have to track him down again soon since they didn’t have another shift together for the next few days. The few things he’d let slip today did nothing to quell Andrew’s interest.

He hated how he kept coming back, how much he _wanted_ to. Neil was nothing, he meant nothing, and yet Andrew had managed to get snagged in only forty eight hours. And yet, no matter how much Andrew tried to convince himself of this, it did absolutely nothing.

From his periphery, Renee gave him a knowing look. Andrew pretended not to notice it.

**✧✧✧**

Andrew was sitting on the back steps of the Enchanted Fox smoking when the door opened and Neil stepped out, a deep frown on his lips.

He didn’t seem to notice Andrew there at first and let out a sharp sigh as he fumbled for something in his pocket. After a moment, he produced his own box of cigarettes and a lighter with shaky hands. It took a few tries for him to successfully produce a flame and light the cigarette, but once he did, Neil took a long drag. As the smoke clouded around him, Neil inhaled deeply, his shoulders drooping a bit as if the smoke brought him comfort.

Andrew was surprised that Neil even owned a pack of cigarettes. He probably shouldn’t have been, considering how unpredictable Neil was turning out to be, but smoking was a major contradiction to the healthy eating only bullshit that Kevin had managed to drag Neil into.

He waited a few moments until Neil noticed he wasn’t alone. When he finally did, Neil nearly fell over the railing, his eyes wide as the cigarette slipped out of his loose grip. “Fucking hell,” he hissed loudly.

The corner of Andrew’s lips twitched upwards and he gave Neil a two fingered salute before going back to staring at the rotting wood fence in front of him. It was strange how city gentrification worked, despite all of the other businesses that were beginning to flock around the Enchanted Fox, they were still only a block away from a piss poor neighborhood.

Once Neil resettled on the step, Andrew said nonchalantly, “It’s your turn.”

They’d been exchanging truths for the past two weeks now, in quiet moments out front or when they happened to run into each other in the back on a break. Most of them were small details that didn’t give too much away, not as much as Neil’s first question had, but Andrew kept every single one stored in his mind anyway.

After the first few days, he’d actually found himself starting to _like_ this little game. It was a bad sign, a warning that he should stop immediately, but Andrew ignored it. The enigma that was Neil Josten only seemed to grow with every encounter, and with it, Andrew’s need to figure it out.

“Oh,” Neil said.

He was quiet for a long minute, and Andrew didn’t push or ask why Neil had come out like that. Their silences were never uncomfortable, neither felt the need to fill them more often than not, and Andrew liked it that way. It was strange how much Neil seemed to understand Andrew, how easily this almost-friendship had come about, but he didn’t mind it.

“Why’d you get your eyebrow pierced?” Neil asked.

Andrew raised the mentioned eyebrow with its simple black bar at the end.

“You don’t like people touching you,” Neil explained. “And something like that requires a lot of trust and proximity, right? It’s just not really something I’d really see you doing.”

Eyeing the five inches between them, Andrew was somewhat impressed that Neil had picked up on something like that. He was always sure to put some distance between himself and others— even his twin and cousin— but he’d worked at the Enchanted Fox long enough that the others knew better than getting too close by now. Neil would have had to be paying minute detail to Andrew’s actions to have picked it up from most of his interactions.

“It was done by Nicky’s boyfriend,” Andrew said. “He does that shit for a living and I’ve known Erik since I was sixteen. Do you have a thing for cigarette smoke or was that a poorly timed inhale?”

Neil’s face twisted into something between a laugh and a grimace. “My mum smoked these,” he said, waving the box of cigarettes he’d set on the cement stairs, “so it kind of reminds me of her, I guess. She was the only real family I had.”

He put out the cigarette and tossed it into the trashcan next to the stairs then followed Andrew’s gaze to the fence instead of asking his next question immediately.

Andrew let himself observe Neil’s face again, head tilting slightly as he did so. He’d noticed from the first time that Neil had a very nice face, but he’d slowly begun realizing just _how_ nice it really was. The slope of his nose was slightly crooked from at least two different breaks but still managed to seem graceful and there were freckles dotting his cheeks even despite the scars. His lips looked soft and pink if not a bit chapped and torn from where he bit his lip sometimes when he was thinking.

Not for the first time this week, Andrew vaguely wondered what he might feel if he were to kiss those lips, to feel those freckles and graze the tip of that nose with his own. It was, to say the least, a bit of a problem.

Abruptly, Neil turned to look at Andrew, and he averted his gaze quickly. When Neil’s eyes stayed on him, Andrew said simply, “You’re staring,” like the fucking hypocrite he was.

“How would you know that?” Neil retorted, though his gaze didn’t waver.

Andrew didn’t reply.

Finally Neil looked away. Andrew let out a small breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and frowned a bit to himself as he caught his eyes drifting over again.

He took another deep drag from his cigarette. A problem indeed, he mused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> andrew has an eyebrow piercing in this au, sorry not sorry. but yeah we're getting to some Feelings now, hell yeah. btw thanks to everyone who's read and left kudos/comments so far i'm very emotional. anyway, see you next chapter where there'll be more magic and gay panic and shit


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: japan, aquarium, concert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning, lame ass chapter ahead. also a panic attack and some weird vague metaphor about drowning. if neither of those are your thing, feel free to just skip this

After the scare that turned out to be a wrongly sent text from a phone with a Maryland area code yesterday, Neil was, to say the least, a little bit on edge. Still, he tried not to seem as exhausted as he felt in front of the other Foxes and the customers.

Luckily, Andrew hadn’t mentioned his minor freak out at all afterwards, nor did he act like anything had happened when they saw each other this morning. He seldom seemed to care about much at all, facing everything with his usual apathetic stare, and Neil was strangely grateful for it.

Things were going better today. The Enchanted Fox was having an unusually slow day, and Neil was mostly only wiping down tables if doing anything at all. Most of his shift so far had been spent playing tic-tac-toe with Matt with some coffee beans and a few stirring sticks.

“Goddammit,” Matt said, slapping the table dramatically as he lost for the umpteenth time in the past half hour. “How the hell are you so good at this?” he asked incredulously.

Neil only shrugged, an amused smile pulling at his lips. Tic-tac-toe had been one of the only games he’d ever been able to hold onto while traveling with his mother, it was quick and could be played almost anywhere with almost anything. He’d spent countless nights playing against himself or his mother when she complied, making him virtually unbeatable now. Not that he’d ever tell Matt that, though.

Matt waved a hand over the pieces and let his magic sweep the beans back to the sides. “Go easy on me this time, buddy, please,” he said, pointing a finger at Neil.

“I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll try,” Neil replied.

When Matt had just set down his first coffee bean, the bell over the door rang and three people stepped in. Neil slid the tic-tac-toe board off to the side with a small release of his own magic and stepped away from the register.

He’d been getting more comfortable using his magic around the other Foxes, none of them except for Renee seemed to recognize anything different in it. Neil only hoped that would last a little bit longer. The Enchanted Fox had grown on him quicker than he’d realized, and he wanted to stay as long as he could.

“Hello, welcome to the Enchanted Fox,” Matt greeted when the first customer stepped up to the counter.

Neil glanced over and his heart nearly stopped, his blood like ice in his veins as he froze in place.

No. It wasn’t possible, not when Neil had seen DiMaccio die along with the rest of Nathan Wesinski’s inner circle of dark magic users. He was dead, he had been for a while.

Sometimes Neil woke up with nightmares about this happening, where he’d see one of his father’s men somewhere and they’d kill him or kill everyone at the Enchanted Fox while making Neil watch. Sometimes he’d be hiding somewhere in a crowd, at a concert surrounded by a million people or walking through the busy streets of Tokyo or Berlin, and Lola Malcom’s face would appear in the shadows, grinning her cruel grin at Neil before disappearing again.

And sometimes, on his most unlucky days, this would happen.

Neil would spot someone who looked just a little too much like his father or one of his associates in a smaller crowd, somewhere noticeable like a subway station or a nearly empty park in the city. And then, without fail, every single time he’d completely freak out.

He knew it wasn’t real, but there was an unyielding, sharp feeling of panic welling up in his throat as the man who looked like DiMaccio smiled at Matt with sharp teeth and slid over a debit card.

Neil couldn’t breathe. There were too many noises, too many people, too many memories crashing down on him, and not enough fucking air.

“I’ll be right back,” he choked out to Matt, not waiting for an answer before he hurried into the back and straight for the door. He had to get his shit together, but all he could see when he closed his eyes was the beady stare of his father as he and his inner circle surrounded Neil with their sharpest knives.

He shoved what he hoped was the door with his arm, inhaling shakily when he smelled the fresh air. One would think he’d be able to have his shit together now that it’d been a few months and his father was dead, but nothing could ever be that simple for Neil.

Black spots began to mottle his vision, and Neil groped for the railing with his left hand as he felt the panic attack start building up in his chest.

 _Stop it_ , he tried to scold himself. It was stupid and humiliating, he _knew_ better than to let something so dumb and nonsensical affect him like this. _Stop being such an idiot_ , he tried again. It did not stop. Neil let his back slide against the metal door until he was seated on the ground, curled up in a pathetic ball. Everything was blurry and he felt like his head was under water, trapped and unable to get up for air. His anchor was drifting away and he was left behind thick glass like a shark in an aquarium, easily seen even as his screams went unheard.

The screams were trapped inside his head on replay, pained and guttural and as foreign to his own ears as they’d been on the night his father finally found him.

And then, abruptly, it stopped, a new sound drowning it out.

Someone was talking to him. The voice was far away and Neil couldn’t make out the words, but he clung to the flat, unwavering cadence and dull tone of it like a lifeline.

Perhaps a minute or hour later, Neil looked up from the barrier he’d created with his arms and was met with Andrew’s intense hazel eyes staring into his own. Immediately he tried to scoot back when he realized that Andrew was here, that he’d seen Neil have a fucking mental breakdown over literally nothing.

“Fuck,” he muttered, trying to shove down the new wave of panic and wipe away the few traitorous tears that had managed to escape. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_. I can’t— you didn’t see me back here, okay? She’s going to kill me— I’m not allowed to— fuck.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Calm down or you’re going to throw yourself into another panic attack,” he said. When Neil ignored him, Andrew reached out, letting his hand hover over the back of Neil’s neck for a brief moment before clamping down with surprising gentleness.

It was oddly grounding, Neil mused as his breathing slowed again. When he looked up at Andrew again, the hand left his neck and Andrew sat back. He pulled out his cigarettes and offered one to Neil before lighting up his own.

Neil took it automatically, pausing to let Andrew light it before bringing it to his lips. “Thanks,” he said after a few silent moments, giving Andrew a guilty smile. He put out the cigarette and stood, straightening his apron and taking one more deep breath for composure. “Sorry you keep having to keep being here when I have a stupid panic attack. Later, I guess.”

“Cut the bullshit, Neil.”

Neil’s hand stopped on the door handle and Neil turned around to look at Andrew again. “Huh?”

Andrew wasn’t looking at him. His eyes were trained on the fence again, but there was no one else he could’ve been talking to. “You know, all the Foxes are some sort of fucked up or other. There’s no reason to be acting all dull and cheery, that’s Renee’s job. Lying isn’t a great look on you.”

“No one asked for your opinion on it,” Neil replied, rolling his eyes. Andrew didn’t understand. There was no other option than to play this part and hope that eventually Neil Josten could replace Nathaniel Wesinski once and for all.

They lapsed into silence again. Neil’s hand was still on the door handle but he made no move to go back inside yet. Finally, Andrew asked, “What made you run?” Neil tensed, but then Andrew clarified, “From the front. You’re in the middle of a shift right now.”

Neil sighed. He hoped Andrew couldn’t tell entirely why. “I saw someone… he looked like a man I used to know who worked for my father.”

Andrew said nothing. Neil waited a few moments, but when it was clear that he wouldn’t, he pushed down on the handle and walked back inside. Somehow, he felt lighter despite all that happened. When Matt asked if he was alright, the smile Neil gave him didn’t feel quite as painful as he thought it’d be.

It seemed Andrew had some sort of unique affect on him. What exactly that might’ve been, Neil wasn’t sure, but he was sure he’d figure it out later. For now, there was work he had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is posted super late too, but in my defense it's only 11pm in my time zone so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ anyway hope this lame/short chapter was ok, get ready for the rest of them to be too because we're in pre-con cosplay crunch time bois. see you tomorrow!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: cartoon, cat, paper crane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is super late and short, but god awful joins means sometimes i cant do anything with my hands for a full day lmao. but hey its only 11. anyway enjoy!

****Though some people found it strange, Andrew and Renee got along extremely well. Most of the time, anyway. They weren’t afraid to call each other on their bullshit, something Andrew appreciated and abhorred at the same time.

They were both on lunch break right now. Since there was no one else hogging it and Renee didn’t like the smell of cigarette smoke, they were sitting in the break room eating pretzel sticks and watching Tom and Jerry on the TV.

Andrew wasn’t really paying attention to what was happening— not that there was ever much of a plot to follow in the show anyway— but it was the only way to avoid the conversation he knew Renee had been dying to have since Andrew had come pounding on her apartment door at two in the morning after he witnessed Neil having a panic attack mid-shift to have a melt down of his own.

It wasn’t an unusual occurrence. Andrew had gone to her at odd hours countless times before, but this wasn’t because of a nightmare or anything of the like. He almost wished it was though, because instead it had been because of one Neil Josten and his stupid secrets and his stupid trust and stupid gorgeous blue eyes and pink lips.

Andrew didn’t quite remember what had been said, but he knew it had been bad, because the next day Renee had given him a _look_. She only gave him those looks after Andrew spilled something particularly idiotic and concerning, otherwise it was seldom brought up again.

That had been several days ago now, and she was still giving him the look. There was a conversation about it coming up soon, he could feel it. But just because he knew it was coming didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to stall it for as long as possible.

The TV screen flickered and started on commercials. Renee flicked her hand and the speakers were muted, the sound trapped in a bright bubble of magic.

“Andrew,” she started. She turned to look at him, eyes sharp and intimidating despite her patient smile.

_Shit_ , Andrew thought. He kept his face carefully blank but let his eyes slide over to her slowly, not quite looking her in the eye.

Renee’s smile widened, knowing she had his attention.

It was a mystery to Andrew how people never realized just how terrifying she was, how cunning and persistent she could be. From the way Neil always seemed a bit skittish and warry of her, Andrew assumed he had some idea, but no one else realized just how ruthless his best friend could be.

“You know I care a lot about you. I believe you deserve to be happy and have someone who cares about and understands you,” Renee said. “And I know that you want that, too. So it makes no sense to me why you seem so desperate to do absolutely nothing when an opportunity for exactly that is right here. I know you like him and I know that you’re probably just going to try to shove it away until it disappears, but it might be nice if you don’t. You two would be good for each other, Andrew. You may not realize it, but you’ve already let him in a bit, this could be something. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever,” he said flatly, looking back to the TV in feigned disinterest.

In reality though, he was unnerved. Conversations that mostly consisted of Renee’s long reassuring speeches usually ended that way. Even though Andrew trusted her with his life, that made him no less comfortable with being so vulnerable to someone, with having the knowledge that there was someone out there who knew him so well that they could see through his solid iron exterior like it was cellophane.

And, as always, she had a point. A really fucking good one. Andrew hated it. He hated her.

Renee was unphased as always. She gave him another smile and turned back to the TV as well, waving a hand to release the sounds. They didn’t speak for the rest of their break, instead watching Tom try to catch Jerry in six different ways and six different settings, only for him to fail spectacularly every time.

Nevertheless, he got up and tried after each one.

Andrew rolled his eyes. Only fictional characters were stupid enough to be so optimistic after so long. That sort of drive and fight had escaped him long ago, it had left after the third foster home. And yet Renee spoke to him as if it were still in him, fighting and striving towards some impossible future of happiness that might one day be attainable.

It was bullshit. And still, very, very quietly, Andrew hoped, too.

**✧✧✧**

When Andrew walked out for his 2 o’clock shift, Neil was already at the register. He was tying his apron behind his back, sleeves sliding up a bit with the reach and Andrew caught a glimpse of scars littering his arms before he looked away quickly and moved to take his position.

Neil looked up as Andrew walked by and smiled at him. “Hey, Andrew.”

For a moment Andrew said nothing. But then Renee’s words came back to him and, internally scowling, grunted a greeting in return.

Neil accepted it and didn’t say anything else to him, instead grabbing a napkin from the napkin dispenser. Andrew watched from the corner of his eye as Neil started to fold the napkin, muttering to himself for a few seconds before grinning and holding out a flimsy paper crane to Andrew.

“Here, take it,” Neil said.

He was quietly impressed but only stared at the napkin until Neil waved it in front of him. Sighing, Andrew took the crane. Instead of crushing it like he might’ve done with any of the other Foxes, he perched it over the empty tip jar. Then, he grabbed another napkin and did his best to replicate Neil’s clean work.

He’d learned basic origami at some summer camp or other in middle school, and though a bit rusty, remembered the folds fairly easily. Without bothering to glance at the finished crane, Andrew set it carefully next to Neil’s and went back to charming the stirring sticks.

The corner of his lips twitched upwards into the ghost of a smile when he turned his back to Neil. And for once, instead of forcing it away before anyone could notice, Andrew let it linger for a short second.

It was a bad idea, following Renee’s suggestions always were. But as Andrew caught Neil smile softly at the two cranes when pulling out change for a customer, he actually let him consider it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact!! as i went on to post this chapter, coffee shop soundtrack came on my music. and yes, i combined cats and cartoons to make a terrible metaphor out of tom and jerry. i hate me too. thanks so much for reading, i'm honestly stunned at how well this fic has been received so far and so grateful for every comment and kudos. anyway, see you next chapter :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: poetry, dance, holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *brittney spears voice* oops i did it again, this chapter is long, my wrists fucking hurt oh baby oh baby--
> 
> lmao anyway. i think i'm better today, this is almost 3k long omg. enjoy!!

Neil was never a fan of the Sabbats. They were celebrated world wide despite the fact the majority of the population wasn’t able to use magic, so no matter where he went there were celebrations.

When he still lived in Baltimore, the Sabbats were the most dangerous times of the year for him.

The energy was always at its strongest point during them, so Nathan Wesinski liked to experiment with the stronger, crueler spells and rituals. At twilight Neil would lock himself in his room and lay every protection that he’d ever learned and not leave until the sun was back in the sky, knowing that if his father found him, he’d become another item in the rituals.

Since the Enchanted Fox was staffed entirely with magic users, Neil knew the Foxes would have something planned for Mabon, the fall equinox, which was only a week away.

He was sitting in the break room, brainstorming excuses that would get him out of whatever the celebrations would be, when Dan and Matt walked in. They plopped onto the couch next to him, smiling in greeting.

There was a look in Dan’s eye when she turned to face Neil, and he knew exactly what was coming. Suppressing a sigh, Neil turned to face her as well. “Hi guys.”

“Hey Neil, how’ve you been today?” Dan asked sweetly.

“Good, I guess.”

“Great! So, do you have any plans for Mabon?” she followed up quickly.

Neil shrugged. “No. I usually don’t do that much for any of the Sabbats, they aren’t really my thing.”

“Oh, okay. But if you decide to change your mind this year, the Enchanted Fox is having a small party for it . We’d love to see you there,” Dan said.

“And there won’t be too much ritual-ey stuff happening since Renee’s the only one who’s serious about religious magic,” Matt added. “It’s mostly just us fucking around and drinking while reading a book of shitty poetry about the wonders and symbolic significance of the equinox.”

Nicky walked by the door at that time, a box of Styrofoam cups in his arms. He grinned at Neil, winking as he added, “We’re gonna be there too. Well, Aaron, Kevin, and I. But I bet if you ask Andrew nicely, you would be able to drag his ass to it.”

Before Neil could reply, Nicky walked away. He turned back to Matt and Dan quietly snickering.

“He’s not wrong,” Dan giggled to Matt. Then she asked Neil, “So, will you at least consider it?”

Neil wanted to say no. He should’ve said no.

Even with Matt’s unknowing reassurance of no rituals, Neil’s magic was always stronger at the equinoxes than any other Sabbats. It made it easier to sense and identify— especially in a tracking spell conjured by his father. Perhaps hiding in plain sight like he did everyday would be smart, but Neil didn’t want to put the other Foxes in danger. He didn’t want to put Andrew in danger.

Something had shifted between them recently, Neil found himself more aware of Andrew’s presence before, felt his stares linger for a bit longer and found himself sitting out back smoking with him just for the sake of the company. Neil had never felt very much attraction to anyone before, but if he had to take a guess, this is what he thought it might look like. And with this newfound maybe-attraction to Andrew came the even more baffling and unfamiliar desire to make sure he didn’t get caught up in the shitstorm that was Neil’s past.

The quickest, most efficient way to do the complete opposite of that was to be near him and everyone else from the Enchanted Fox during an equinox. In other words, even considering going to the party was a dumb idea.

Hell, Neil didn’t even like parties that much.

But with Dan and Matt’s pleading eyes and a selfish want to have at least one pleasant Sabbat in his lifetime, Neil found himself nodding. The words, “Sure, I’ll think about it,” spilled out of his mouth before he could stop it, and then it was solidified.

“Fantastic, I hope you decide to come,” Dan said.

“Hell yeah,” Matt cheered.

If she were still alive, Neil was entirely sure that his mother would kill him for this. But, the rebellious and just a little bit petty part of his brain said it didn’t matter, because she _wasn’t_ alive, and he wanted to go anyway. Besides, the Foxes were all capable magic users, if Nathan did end up trying to find him next week, they could all fend for themselves.

**✧✧✧**

“Why.”

It wasn’t phrased much like a question, but rather an incredulous demand in Andrew’s own unique way.

His stare was flat and unamused as always, the only hint of emotion being the small quirk of one of his eyebrows as he waited for Neil to explain himself.

“Because it’s Mabon, and you should try to at least pretend to socialize with us once and a while.” Neil replied. “And besides, Nicky already said everyone else is going so I doubt you’ll be doing anything else then.”

“And what if I do have plans?”

“Do you, then?” Neil asked, mimicking Andrew’s expression.

Andrew sighed. “You’re insufferable,” he told Neil. Still, he didn’t answer the posed question. It would be pointless to anyway, they both were fully aware that the answer was no.

They stared each other down for a long minute, neither of them doing so much as blinking. The bell above the door jingled and finally Andrew said, “What would you give me in return?”

“The fulfilling experience of socializing and friendship.” Andrew glared at that, and Neil felt a smile start to form on his lips. “I’ll buy you a new pack of cigarettes.”

He didn’t mention that he noticed there were only three left in Andrew’s current pack when they were outside trading truths earlier.

Andrew considered the offer for a moment, then finally gave Neil a subtle nod before turning to dully greet the new customer.

He didn’t give Neil the most enthusiastic response, but it was still a yes, so Neil was satisfied. He spent the rest of the shift in a light mood, not fully realizing what exactly he’d agreed to until later on that evening back in his apartment.

“Shit,” he muttered to himself. The rest of the night was spent staring up at the dull popcorn ceiling of his apartment, mind racing with dull panic.

**✧✧✧**

The next week passed at an alarming rate. Neil’s days were spent working at the Enchanted Fox, smoking out back with Andrew, and slowly becoming more and more unnerved about the coming equinox. He knew he wasn’t doing as well as usual at covering up his building panic— or perhaps he was just letting himself get even closer to the Foxes than he’d realized— but he tried not to notice it.

Even Kevin found the time to approach him though, reminding Neil that bottling up negative emotions could weaken his magic and evocation abilities, which meant he was doing even worse than he realized.

Neil had felt the energy in the air growing stronger in the past few days, and now that Mabon had officially arrived, the magic felt suffocating in Neil’s lungs. Despite the fact the Enchanted Fox was a constant reminder, he went in for work anyway.

The day passed by in a haze of charmed coffee and cheerful greetings of “Happy Mabon!” and giddy chatter from the Foxes about the party later that night. Neil knew it was pointless, but he tried to seem as enthusiastic as the others despite the permanent pit of dread nestled in his stomach.

Thankfully, no one said anything about it.

Far too soon, it was eight o’clock and Nicky was waving a hand at the sign in the window, letting the letters on the sign rearrange from the word _open_ to _closed_. “Party time!” he cheered, turning to grin at an exhausted and unenthusiastic Aaron and Neil.

Nicky reached out to grab them by the wrists and drag them back to get the rest of the Foxes. Before he could, Neil stepped backwards and led the way instead.

Though it hadn’t happened since he was seven years old, Neil had a tendency to accidentally channel his magic at something during the equinoxes as well. It always ended in disaster, at least one fire, and the death of a plant or henchman who got a bit too close. Tonight wasn’t going to end up like that though, Neil was going to make sure of it.

“Is everything set up?” Dan asked when the three men walked into the break room. “Wymack would be pissed if you didn’t even sweep up the place before we go out there.”

All the Foxes were there, even Andrew, though he didn’t look overly pleased about it from where he sat glowering on the ground next to Renee. It was hard to take the look too seriously though, considering there was a large bag of sour gummy worms in his lap. Some of them were holding bottles of alcohol, there were a few different pieces of magical paraphernalia and Allison had a stack of bright orange, cone-shaped party hats in her hand.

“Yep, everything’s good. We had it all under control,” Nicky replied.

“What the hell was the point of coming back here if we’re all just going back out to the front?” grumbled Aaron.

Without missing a beat, Nicky said, “Because it’s _fun_. And polite, not that you or Andrew would know what that means.”

Andrew didn’t even bother looking up from his candy and flipped Nicky off. Neil snorted quietly at that and Andrew turned to look at him, eyebrow raised slightly in question. He only shrugged in response.

“Whatever,” Allison said. “Let’s go, all that expensive ass liquor isn’t going to drink itself.”

“I also made some cookies this afternoon,” Renee added, holding up a saran wrapped tray. Like most things in the Enchanted Fox, the frosting on the five-point star shaped cookies were a bold orange.

There were a few cheers and the Foxes got up to move into the main room, where Neil, Nicky, and Aaron had covered the tables with plastic table cloths and put various bottles and stacks of disposable cups and silverware. The speaker in the corner was playing a Mabon song Neil vaguely recognized, and there were a few girls from the magic flower shop down the street waiting patiently by the doors.

Aaron was the one to let them in, smiling brighter at one of the girls than Neil had ever seen. His girlfriend Katelyn, Neil vaguely remembered.

Everyone cheered and began to serve themselves various drinks and food made for the celebration. Allison drifted around and forced one of her stupid party hats onto every person in attendance, including Neil, who took one for Andrew as well.

A few minutes later, Nicky slid up to him, plastic cup in his hand and eyes wide. “Holy shit man, how’d you get Andrew to stick around?” he asked, nodding towards where his cousin sat at a table with Kevin in a corner far from the makeshift dancefloor. “When I tried to get him to, he said he was going to throw a hot pot of coffee at me.”

Neil shrugged, a small smile pulling at his lips. “I asked.”

Nicky stared at him incredulously for a moment. Then, he exclaimed, “Bullshit!”

“It wasn’t that hard,” Neil said.

“Honestly, I’m never going to understand either of you,” Nicky said, shaking his head. He took a long swing of his drink then smiled at Neil. “Well, see you later I guess.”

Neil gave Nicky a small wave as he left then leaned back against the wall, content to be alone for now. He took a sip of his water bottle and watched his friends enjoy themselves, singing and dancing and drinking. This was truly a celebration, as small as it might’ve been.

Slowly, he was starting to think he might actually have a nice Mabon this year.

**✧✧✧**

Neil was sitting out back with a burnt out cigarette resting loosely between his fingers when Andrew opened the door and sat on the stairs next to him. Even in the dim light, Neil noted there were five inches of space between them.

Instead of acknowledging Neil, Andrew pulled out his own pack of cigarettes— nearly full since Neil had handed it to him only a few days ago— and lit one.

They sat in silence for a while before Andrew spoke. “Ask,” he said simply.

Neil knew what Andrew meant, what he was going to ask in return. Only an idiot wouldn’t be able to figure it out after how skittish he’d been in the past week. Neil thought for a moment, filing through the list of questions mentally stored away to ask Andrew one day for one that would be of a similar weight.

Finally he settled on, “Why don’t you like to use your magic for things other than pissing off Kevin or working?”

It was a minute detail but something Neil had noticed almost immediately. He recognized it in small, mundane actions that Andrew made, done with practiced movement and ease. There were certain things the other Foxes went straight to their magic for— summoning a flame, drying a wet surface, washing their hands.

Andrew never did. He used the cheap plastic lighter always tucked away in his front pocket to light a cigarette, wiped down tables with a towel, ran his calloused hands under the hot water of the sink nestled in the corner by the espresso machines.

To Neil none of those were unusual things, but only because he’d been taught to only use his magic only in times of emergencies up until he was sixteen. It had never worn off and using his magic for everyday things like making a cup of coffee or opening the back of the napkin dispenser was still strange. But Andrew shouldn’t have been this way, if anything Neil would’ve guessed that he’d be a frequent user of flippant magic.

If Andrew had any sort of reaction to the question, Neil couldn’t see it. “I used it a lot a while ago. Everyone thought it was a cute little party trick to parade around and I wasn’t allowed to say no,” he started emotionlessly. “Then there was this one foster family. They were good people, wanted to adopt me for a while. And then their son came back. Was part of the U.S. Magic Corps for a while, I don’t really give a fuck. He didn’t use his magic for what it was supposed to be used for and mine couldn’t do shit for me. There’s no point on relying on magic for small things if you can’t when it actually matters.”

He still wasn’t looking at Neil, but there was a bitter edge in his voice. Neil said nothing, simply turned towards the fence and nodded. He understood that better than he’d care to admit. Then, after a few moments, replied, “Your turn.”

“Why’d you freak out over Mabon? It’s just a stupid fall festival.”

Neil let out a slow breath before replying. “My magic… it’s strongest around the equinoxes. It’s easier for people to sense it when I use it or I’m just standing there, or if someone used a tracking spell to find me. I guess since my mum and I started running, I’ve been afraid my father would find us on an equinox because of my magic.

“As you and probably everyone else by now has guessed, I don’t have magic that’s common here. The strain is from Britain, though people don’t take too kindly to it there either. For a valid reason though, since not many people would want to be around someone who possesses death magic. And the case in the US is probably the same, so I know that if everyone found out tonight I would no longer be welcome here.”

Andrew was silent for a long minute. Then he scoffed. “You’re an idiot,” he said. But instead of going back inside, he only pulled out another cigarette and handed it to Neil. “Light it,” he said.

Neil raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have a lighter.” Andrew gave him a look, and Neil startled a bit. “With magic? Did you not hear what I said? My magic… it has the potential to kill people.”

“But it doesn’t,” Andrew replied. Then he nodded towards the cigarette again.

After a moment of staring at Andrew, Neil finally gave up. “Fine.”

He felt reached for the magic around him and conjured a small, dark blue flame that was nearly black. Neil’s gaze flitted towards Andrew again, but he didn’t look alarmed or horrified or anything. Once again Neil found himself oddly comforted by his apathy.

Carefully, he touched the flame to the tip of his cigarette and put out the fire, lifting the cigarette to his lips. He took a slow drag from it, letting the smoke float from his lips slowly as he turned back to face Andrew fully.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “Well, it didn’t kill you,” he said.

Neil smiled a bit at that. “Yeah, I suppose so.” The thank you was clear even as he didn’t say the words aloud.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Andrew told Neil, turning away. Nevertheless, neither of them could deny there was a faint, pleased note in his voice.

There was something like firecrackers in Neil’s chest, loud and breathtaking and giddy and utterly fucking ridiculous, but he let it happen. They stared up at the quarter moon in comfortable silence for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hell yeah Magic Building is happening. btw Mabon and the Sabbats are real, they're celebrated mainly in the neopagan/wiccan religions and i thought it'd be cool to incorporate in this au. i also looked up the phase of the fucking moon on sept 23 so they could see an accurate moon. hope yall liked this one, its honestly my favorite so far. only 2 more to go, see you tomorrow!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: "i could kill you right now", "i don't need your help", "are you afraid?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is late but hey its still the 13th for 5 min in PST ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ hope you like this one!!

Though in Andrew’s opinion, it took way too long, Wymack finally asked them to take down the Mabon decorations in the Enchanted Fox a week later.

Andrew was sitting at one of the tables with a book propped open when Wymack came out of his office and looked around at the copious streamers and cheap plastic banners still up. He scowled then turned to Aaron and Allison, who were getting ready for opening. “You’d better get all of this shit out of my sight before we open. This is a coffeehouse, not a goddamn party store. And don’t waste all of your magic on it, we have a business to run,” he told them. Before disappearing back into his office, Wymack added, “That includes you, Andrew.”

Not bothering to look up from his book, Andrew raised a hand and flipped off Wymack. He calmly turned the page, ignoring his brother’s and coworker’s annoyed grumbling when he made no move to get up and help. Until two o’clock, the Enchanted Fox wasn’t his problem. Andrew was simply Aaron’s ride to work for the next few hours.

“I wish Neil was here,” Allison muttered, loud enough for Andrew to hear. “He would make Andrew get off his ass and help.” She turned to Aaron, crumpling a banner in her hands with a scowl. “What good is it being his twin if you can’t even get him to peel off the window clings?”

Andrew pretended not to hear them. Truthfully, he kind of wished Neil was here too. The other Foxes were boring and there was nothing good on TV at this point in the morning and Andrew couldn’t focus on the words in front of him. If Neil were here, he’d be nosy and talkative, but at least he’d be something around here that was actually interesting.

Though when Andrew really considered it, perhaps it was better that only Aaron and Allison were here right now. Over the past few weeks, it had been getting harder for Andrew to shove down the obnoxiously persistent urge to lean forward and kiss Neil. Even now, after Andrew had let him know something so close and personal, his feelings hadn’t changed. If anything, they were even stronger now.

Andrew hated it.

With every lasting gaze Neil stole when he thought Andrew wasn’t paying closer attention, every soft, asking smile and understanding silence, it grew and festered. He felt sick with this feeling of what could only be described as infatuation, and he wanted it gone immediately. Letting himself get so attached to someone, to feel so much for them, it was dangerous. Every other time, it only ended in ruin, and Andrew was not entirely sure he’d be able to get back up again after Neil passed through and left.

Aaron and Allison continued to bicker and gripe as they removed any trace of Mabon from the shop’s interior, about Andrew, about Wymack and Neil and anyone else. Finally Andrew got sick of it and slammed his book shut with a loud clap, standing up.

Allison raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you actually going to help, then?” she asked sarcastically.

They all knew the answer to that.

Without a word, Andrew shoved his book in his bag and silently headed towards the backdoor.

The air was frigid when he stepped out and he pulled his leather jacket closer to himself before pulling out his cigarettes. It was rare for him to smoke at the Enchanted Fox without Neil around anymore, there was something off about lighting up without at least knowing that Neil was eventually going to come join him.

Andrew sighed aloud. His thoughts seemed to drift to Neil anytime he was trying to do anything else, and it did absolutely nothing to help any of his other problems. After another slow drag of his cigarette he looked up, and nearly fell backwards into the door.

It felt like he was on his old meds again, his head swimming and an impossible hallucination in front of him. Neil looked like a golden mirage beneath the early morning sun, leaning against the broken fence separating the Enchanted Fox from the neighborhood behind it, his windbreaker tied around his waist and white running shoes bright in the light. He had a hand held out carefully to the stray cat in front of him like some Disney princess, a small grin on his lips even when the cat hissed at him.

Andrew wasn’t sure whether he wanted to remain in the shadows and watch Neil until he left or to try and get his attention. Both were terrible ideas. Before he could decide on which to do, the cat jumped down and scampered away. Neil lowered his hand and turned towards the Enchanted Fox. After a moment his eye must’ve caught on Andrew, because he started walking over quickly.

From where he was sitting, Andrew could see the surprise on Neil’s face. He didn’t react as Neil strode up in all of his sweaty, post work out glory. Instead, he only handed him the still burning cigarette and lit another one for himself.

When Neil glanced at the abnormally large gap of space between them, he raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t get rabies from that cat, you know.”

“You were running, you smell like a fucking locker room,” Andrew replied. Nonetheless, he allowed Neil to scoot an inch further.

Neil scoffed. “Yeah, like half an hour ago. And it’s not like you always smell like a daisy yourself,” he quipped.

Andrew huffed in response, trying to fight back the twitch of his lips. If it were anyone else, he’d probably have punched them in the face, but Neil seemed to be an exception to a lot of things.

They smoked in silence for a while, Neil most likely watching for the stray cat’s return and Andrew watching Neil from the corner of his eye. Eventually Neil stubbed out his cigarette on the concrete, letting out a small sigh as he turned to face Andrew.

“I didn’t think you’d be here so early,” he commented. “You usually work late mornings at the earliest.”

Andrew continued to stare forward. “Aaron needed to come early and can’t find another goddamn ride,” he said. “Ask me something.”

“Why do you still act the same around me even after what I said on Mabon?” Neil asked almost immediately. “You know, I could kill you right now. Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“No, because you won’t,” Andrew said. “If you haven’t noticed, magic doesn’t mean shit to me. You’re still a nosy paranoid idiot who’s terrible at customer service and I don’t need your help to stay alive.”

Neil let out a small laugh at that. He ran a hand through his hair and gave Andrew that look again, quiet and sincere and inexplicably fond. “Not everyone thinks that way, though,” he said quietly, then laughed humorlessly. “I like that you do. You’re an honest person and only really focus on the facts and circumstances in front of you. I know the other Foxes call you a callous ass and may never see it, but you really are amazing.”

Andrew’s head was spinning, his throat tight and eyes wide, though it had nothing to do with the cigarette forgotten in his hand. He wanted to make it stop, wanted to push Neil far away and drive off until he was thinking straight again.

Instead he turned to Neil, eyes searching his face quickly before inching a millimeter closer and in a quiet, gruff voice said, “I want to kiss you now, yes or no?”

Surprise flashed in Neil’s eyes, but then they darted down to Andrew’s lips for a brief moment. His ears tinged red when Andrew lifted his eyebrows in slight amusement. Finally Neil gave him a small, shy smile and tilted his head until their noses were nearly touching. “Yes,” he whispered.

Andrew moved forward and brushed a hand against Neil’s jaw before pressing their lips together firmly. Neil’s lips were soft under his own, and the giddy feeling returned in Andrew’s chest when they pulled away slightly before going in for another kiss.

A moment or a minute passed as they exchanged slow, gentle kisses until finally they had to pull away. They didn’t move too far, just a breath apart. When Andrew opened his eyes again, Neil’s lips were glossy and parted as a small _oh_ escaped his lips, as if not quite registering what had happened. But then he met Andrew’s eyes again and he gave him another one of those goddamn smiles.

Andrew decided it might’ve been one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen, and decided he hated Neil just a little bit more for it. Still, after a small nod from Neil, he found him leaning forward, hoping just a bit that he might be able to see it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who thought for whatever reason that the last chapter had been andrew's pov and had like 800 words before remembering it was fucking neil's wtf brain. anyway they kissed!! finally!! its been a wonky mess, but we made it. tomorrows the last day and will probably be an epilogue type thing, thank you all so much for giving this stupid little fic a chance and maybe i'll write more in the universe in the future :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: none, free day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah we're gonna use the "it's not too late in all time zones yet" excuse again. anyway, last chapter here we go!! thank you all so much for reading this, i can't believe its done ahhhh (also I apologize, my inner colorado resident jumped out in this one)

As March was coming closer to its end and spring was making its way into the air, the Foxes decided to take a night trip up to the mountains to celebrate Ostara. Allison had a large cabin for them all to stay in and knew an overpass where they could watch the stars.

Neil had been getting more comfortable on the Sabbats in the past few months, he’d been doing the impossible and slowly letting himself begin to enjoy them. The urge to say no and hide himself away until it was over had slowly begun to fade and he found himself joining the festivities for each one that had passed. Most of the time he managed to get Andrew to participate some too, even if the nights always ended in the two of them stepping outside into the dark for cigarettes and kisses. That part was a bonus in Neil’s eyes.

Still, when Dan brought it up a few days before the nineteenth, Neil found himself hesitating a bit when the others gave immediately enthusiastic responses. Ostara was the spring equinox. After Neil had feared the equinoxes for so many years, it was virtually impossible to break out of the habit now.

Andrew must’ve noticed some sort of shift in his expression, because he bumped their knees together lightly and raised an eyebrow. Neil shook his head but gave him a look that promised they’d talk later, aware that Andrew would want some answers.

“Sure,” he said to the rest of the group, trying to force enthusiasm into his voice, “it sounds like fun.”

They took it easily and broke off into their own conversations, the room buzzing with excitement.

Andrew bumped Neil’s knee again then said quietly, “Smoke?”

Neil raised an eyebrow, though there was a small, fond smile forming on his lips. “I’ve got a shift in like ten minutes,” he reminded Andrew.

“So?”

“God, you’re such a terrible influence,” Neil muttered, standing up from the couch.

“Not like you weren’t already pulling this shit in the first place,” Andrew said.

They slipped out of the break room without much notice, walking into the significantly quieter hallway before starting for the back door. Andrew’s hand found Neil’s and their fingers locked together naturally, hands swinging lightly between them as they stepped outside.

After lighting two cigarettes, Andrew asked, “What was that?”

Neil sighed, chewing on his cigarette so he could run his free hand through his hair. He pulled the cigarette out and said, “It’s another equinox. I know I’ve told everyone by now and Renee keeps too many protective wards around for anything really bad to happen, but I’ve always been running from him the most at equinoxes and it’s weird not to be this year. There’s something in my brain telling me that I have to get the hell out of here and I can’t stop it.” He stared down at his cigarette and suppressed another small sigh. “God, it’s all so stupid.”

Andrew didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but he did inch a bit closer and began to run his thumb over their laced knuckles. When he did speak, his voice was quiet and a bit rough with smoke. “It’s not something you can help, damage can’t go away in just a moment.”

It was terse and he still didn’t look at Neil, but it was enough. A feeling like happiness settled into his chest, warm and pleasant despite the late winter chill still in the air. “Yeah, I suppose so,” he agreed, voice fond. Then he asked, “So do you want to go to the mountains on Thursday?”

Andrew thought for a moment but then shrugged. “Sure, why not? If you really want to, then we can go,” he said.

“So is that a yes?” Neil asked, tilting his head a bit to look at Andrew’s face.

“Yes, Neil,” Andrew huffed with faint amusement then took a drag from his cigarette.

Neil beamed. “I’m glad,” he said. Then he put out his cigarette and turned to Andrew, leaning in slow enough that Andrew could move away if he wanted to. “Yes or no?” he asked.

Andrew put out his own cigarette and took Neil’s other hand into his newly freed one, giving them a small squeeze. He closed the gap between them and captured Neil into a kiss that tasted like smoke and Betsy’s new rose-shaped sugar cookies.

Neil ended up being ten minutes late for his shift with swollen lips and eyes bright, much to Dan’s slightly annoyed amusement.

**✧✧✧**

“Happy Ostara, we brought booze!” Nicky shouted as he hopped out of Andrew’s car in the front of the Enchanted Fox’s parking lot. The others cheered and Andrew rolled his eyes, coming up to stand next to Neil.

“Hey,” Neil greeted him, feeling a smile already pulling at his lips. When Andrew got close enough, he took his hand and placed a small kiss on Andrew’s knuckles before dropping it, lacing together their fingers.

Andrew ignored the cooing from Nicky and Renee and nodded in return. The gesture was small but sent another wave of butterflies fluttering through Neil’s stomach, and he tightened his grip a bit.

“Okay, now that everyone’s here, should we go then?” Renee asked, looking around at the small group.

The Foxes were all gathered in front of the coffeehouse, holding various party props, blankets, and containers of food. Ostara had approached quickly as Mabon had, the magic was thick and thrummed louder in Neil’s veins, but this time he felt more at ease thanks to Andrew.

Renee was met with more cheers and a _can we just go already?_ from Aaron. They reviewed the car arrangements again, double checking everything was there before breaking off to Andrew, Matt, and Allison’s respective vehicles.

Neil gently pulled Andrew towards the car, reluctantly dropping Andrew’s hand before walking past Kevin and claiming the passenger seat. Kevin glared at him, but Neil only shrugged. “Snooze, you lose,” he said innocently.

Kevin flipped him off but the others only laughed. From the corner of his eye, Andrew’s mouth even curled up a bit, though it was gone before Neil could point it out. Kevin opened his door with a small bit of magic, looking thrilled when the car complied to his request. It had been something he was beginning to do more and more, rebuilding his magic and carving a path to healing alongside Neil’s own.

“There are door handles there for exactly that,” Andrew said to Kevin, pushing his key into the car ignition. His tone was unamused, but Neil could hear the small note of pride in his voice.

Once everyone was buckled in, Andrew tore out of the parking lot and trailed Allison’s bright pink car onto the interstate towards the mountains. Sometime along the way, his hand found its way to Neil’s again, resting comfortably on Neil’s knee.

The mountains looked picturesque with the setting sun behind them, and Neil felt another rush of the excitement that had been growing in him for the past few days as they drew closer and closer.

He’d never been up in the mountains for celebratory reasons, he’d ended up in a hidden village in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains once with his mom for a little while during middle school, but that had hardly been fun and he was barely let outside except for school. Back then he’d never been able to appreciate the mountains, towering and solid and rough, conjured up from the flat land with their own sort of magic and will. They were truly beautiful, and Neil spent most of the car ride staring out his window as they zipped down the winding roads.

At last Allison turned onto a small dirt road, leading them through a dark forest for a few minutes before they finally emerged into a clearing. The ledge at the end was steep, and the lights of the nearest town were small specks of dust far bellow them. The skyline was filled with sharp, snow covered mountain tops and Neil’s breath caught in his throat when the car came to a stop near the trees.

“It’s a cool ass place, isn’t it?” Allison said with a grin when they piled out, hands on her hips in satisfaction.

“It’s amazing,” Neil said, beaming.

Dan was leaning against Matt’s truck, taking in the view with as much awe as Neil. “I honestly never pegged you as someone who was really outdoorsy,” she told Allison, “how’d you even find this place?”

Allison shrugged. “The cabin is super close by and my cousin really liked coming here when he was a kid. Enough on that though, we’ve got a fuck ton of food and bug repelling charms to use.”

They all sat down after that, Andrew and Neil on two blankets and a tarp while a few of the others conjured something with their magic. It was always easier on Sabbats, so the Foxes used up the magic as much as possible during them. Neil found it both amusing and completely unnecessary and dramatic, though he couldn’t deny he enjoyed watching his friends have fun.

Andrew did end up using a bit of his magic to heat up some of the food they brought, letting Neil huddle under a felt blanket with him as they ate their pasta and fruit— or rather, Neil ate the fruit. He didn’t say much, but the quiet peace radiated off of him, enough to make Neil shoot bright smiles his way continuously despite the flat glares they were met with each time.

Renee pulled out a pack of UNO cards and managed to convince Dan, Matt, Allison, Nicky, and somehow Aaron— Neil was pretty sure it was only because he was shitfaced from the whiskey Nicky had brought along, his prickliness seemed to leave a bit when he was drunk— to play, leaving Andrew and Neil near the edge of the cliff alone.

After a nod of consent from Andrew, Neil leaned into Andrew’s side and let out a small sigh near the crook of his neck. He felt the small shiver from Andrew and bit back a smile, turning back towards the sky. They were staring up at the few stars beginning to appear as the last bits of sunlight faded, bright and steady like the small flecks of energy always left after Neil charmed a drink at the Enchanted Fox.

Neil felt relaxed, and even more than that, safe. Andrew always seemed to have that effect on him, he mused, though there was something even better about it now.

Ostara was a time for new beginnings. A time for letting go to allow new growth and ascending into the light. Sitting here, sitting on top of a mountain with him and watching the stars, the fear still present but muted and quieter than it had ever been, Neil couldn’t help but think it was entirely appropriate for the occasion.

Andrew tilted his head down to look at Neil, raising his eyebrows. “Why’re you smiling like that?”

Neil only shrugged, sitting up a bit so his nose was brushing lightly against Andrew’s. “Just thinking about stuff,” he mumbled. “Happy Ostara, Andrew.”

As he had during their last shared equinox, Andrew leaned forward and initiated the kiss. Neil felt light, even brighter than the stars watching from above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we're done! thank you so much to everyone here for reading, for leaving kudos, for commenting, for everything, i hope you liked this trainwreck. i'm so emotional right now what the fuck. once again you can find me on [tumblr](https://adverbialstarlight.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/adverbialnouns)!! i have a bunch more aftg fics to come as well, hope to see you then :)


End file.
